On Fri 22 November 2024, BBC Radio Four’s Rare Earth Programme turned its attention to plastic and, in the context of our ever-growing reliance on plastic and the challenge of plastic pollution, asked “Who’s in charge: us or plastic?”.
In a wide ranging exploration of our relationship with plastic and plastic waste, hosts Tom Heap and Helen Czerski were joined by Professor Sally Beken, Innovate UK Business Connect’s Knowledge Transfer Manager for Polymers, Steve Fletcher, Professor of Ocean Policy and Economy and Director of Revolution Plastics at the University of Portsmouth, Mark Miodownik, Professor of Materials & Society at UCL and a member of a new Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) Mission Hub which aims to tackle the urgent environmental challenge of plastic, and environmental journalist Leana Hosea from Watershed Investigations.
The programme explores every aspect of our relationship with and management of plastic and plastic waste, from potential solutions including alternative materials, reuse and more advanced recycling, to the grim reality of illegal plastic waste exports and their impact in developing countries. It explores the potential opportunity offered by the UN Treaty, the role of better legislation including Extended Producer Responsibility, and the realities of our relationship with plastic as consumers.
For a fascinating dive into the complex challenge of plastics and plastic waste, listen back here BBC Radio 4 – Rare Earth, Who’s in charge: us or plastic?
